The Ultimate Drywall Hanging Quiz

Feeling adventurous with your home improvement project? Applying drywall is not as complicated as you may think. You may need some professional assistance or advice for certain steps, but don't be intimidated. Take this quiz and become a drywall do-it-yourselfer!

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Question 1 of 20

What is the standard size of drywall sheets?

4 x 6 feet

4 x 8 feet

It takes some planning to limit the number of joints when putting up drywall. Consider that the standard drywall sheet size is 4 x 8 feet.

6 x 8 feet

Question 2 of 20

How are drywall sheets typically installed?

vertically

Drywall sheets are generally installed vertically. If a sheet fits better, however, horizontally, then go ahead and install it that way.

horizontally

It doesn't matter.

Question 3 of 20

How many nails will you need to install your drywall?

5 pounds of nails per 1,000 square feet

7 pounds of nails per 1,000 square feet

Get ready to hammer in a whole bunch of nails! For every 1,000 square feet you will need 5 pounds of coated drywall nails.

10 pounds of nails per 1,000 square feet

Question 4 of 20

Besides drywall and nails, what other building material do you need?

joint compound

tape

both of the above

For your drywall construction, you will also need five-gallons of joint compound and 500 feet of tape for every 1,000 square feet of drywall.

Question 5 of 20

Some drywallers prefer using drywall screws instead of nails. Why is having a drywall setting on your drill useful?

It prevents drywall splitting.

It prevents “popped” screw heads.

A drywall setting on your drill allows the drill to slip when it senses that the screw is fully inserted. This prevents “popped” screw heads from occurring

both of the above

Question 6 of 20

What is the purpose of drywall?

It is used to create the interior walls of a home or building.

Drywall, also known as gypsum board, is a solid building material that is used to create interior walls of a home or building.

It is used to hold insulation in place.

both of the above

Question 7 of 20

Before you install drywall, what do you need to do?

aerate the drywall

make T-braces

You need to make T-braces from 2 x 4 wood approximately an inch longer than the distance from the ceiling to the floor. If this is too adventurous for you, consider renting adjustable T-braces from your local hardware store.

both of the above

Question 8 of 20

What should you use to cut drywall?

a hand saw

an electric saw

a utility knife

Simply use a utility knife along a straightedge for cutting drywall to size.

Question 9 of 20

What is the purpose of T-braces?

It holds the drywall in place while you are nailing it in.

It helps with cutting the drywall to size.

both of the above

The main purpose of T-braces is to hold drywall in place. T-braces, however, can also be used as support to help snap apart scored pieces of drywall.

Question 10 of 20

How far apart should you hammer nails into the drywall?

2 inches

4 inches

6 inches

Hammer in nails 6 inches apart along the joints of the drywall.

Question 11 of 20

Drywall taping involves:

hammering in the nails

taping the drywall to make sure it's not loose

covering the nails and joints

You may require some professional assistance for drywall taping. Drywall taping involves covering all the nails and joints.

Question 12 of 20

What is the first step in taping?

Cover the joints with drywall tape.

Cover the joints with joint compound.

First, cover the joints with joint compound. Next, smooth the joint compound so that it is level with the drywall.

Mark where you want to place the nails.

Question 13 of 20

What is the purpose of drywall tape?

It is used to cover the joint compound.

After the joint compound is applied, put drywall tape over the compound. Some of the compound will squeeze out. Next, smooth the tape and compound with a taping knife.

It is used to mark where the nails should be placed.

It is used to mark where the drywall should be placed.

Question 14 of 20

How do you cover the nails?

with compound

Cover all the nail dimples with joint compound.

with tape

with tape and compound

Question 15 of 20

How many coats of joint compound should you apply?

one coat

two coats

three coats

Applying joint compound is an essential but lengthy process. It involves applying three coats, allowing each coat to dry for approximately 24 hours.

Question 16 of 20

The second coat of joint compound should be:

very thin

The second coat should be very thin. It should extend out by a few inches from the first coat.

very thick

of medium thickness

Question 17 of 20

What tool should you use when applying the third coat of compound?

10-inch wide plaster knife

10-inch wide taping knife

Apply the third coat of joint compound with a 10-inch wide taping knife. This will extend the compound by 6 inches on either side of the drywall joint.

10-inch wide compound brush

Question 18 of 20

What should you do once all the coats of joint compound are applied?

Put on one final layer of drywall tape.

Sand the edges with a sanding block.

Finally, once all of the coats of compound are dry, sand down the edges with a sanding block. Use a sanding block that is covered with medium-grit sanding paper.

Nail in securing compound nails.

Question 19 of 20

What other areas of drywall should be covered with drywall tape and compound?

the inside corners

the spots where the wall meets the ceiling

both of the above

This part of taping is a bit tricky as the inside corners and the spots where the wall meets the ceiling are not easy to tape. Both of these areas, however, do need to be covered with drywall compound and tape.

Question 20 of 20

What needs to be done on the outside corners of drywall?

application of compound

installation of metal corners

both of the above

Purchase metal drywall corners from your hardware store. After applying these metal corners, finish off with three coats of compound.